MLB Opening Day Rosters Feature 40 WCL Alumni

2023-03-30

New Record for Most Former WCL Players on MLB Opening Day Rosters

This year, a record 40 players with West Coast League experience have earned spots on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. This marks the third consecutive season with the WCL setting a new record for alumni on Opening Day rosters.

Former WCL players gearing up to start the season in the big leagues include 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, 2022 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up Adley Rutschman, and 2022 National League All-Star Tyler Anderson.

Rising young standouts like Andrew Vaughn (Chicago White Sox) and Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), along with pitchers Nick Pivetta (Boston Red Sox) and Drew Rasmussen (Tampa Bay Rays) are also slated to start the 2023 campaign in the major leagues.

Here is the list of West Coast League alumni on MLB Opening Day rosters in 2023:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Shane Bieber (Cowlitz), Cleveland Guardians

Matt Boyd (Corvallis), Detroit Tigers

Seth Brown (Bend), Oakland A’s

*Griffin Canning (Wenatchee), Los Angeles Angels

Adam Cimber (Kitsap), Toronto Blue Jays

Matt Duffy (Corvallis), Kansas City Royals

Marco Gonzales (Wenatchee), Seattle Mariners

*Spencer Howard (Bellingham), Texas Rangers

Cooper Hummel (Bend/Cowlitz/Walla Walla), Seattle Mariners

Cole Irvin (Cowlitz), Baltimore Orioles

James Kaprielian (Wenatchee), Oakland A’s

Ryan Kreidler (Wenatchee), Detroit Tigers

Steven Kwan (Corvallis), Cleveland Guardians

Ramon Laureano (Medford), Oakland A’s

Nicky Lopez (Bend), Kansas City Royals

Nathan Lukes (Victoria), Toronto Blue Jays

Seth Martinez (Bellingham), Houston Astros

Phil Maton (Kelowna), Houston Astros

*Wyatt Mills (Kelowna Falcons/Yakima Valley), Boston Red Sox

Eli Morgan (Yakima Valley), Cleveland Guardians

*James Paxton (Kelowna), Boston Red Sox

Nick Pivetta (Victoria), Boston Red Sox

Drew Rasmussen (Wenatchee), Tampa Bay Rays

Adley Rutschman (Corvallis), Baltimore Orioles

*Tarik Skubal (Kitsap), Detroit Tigers

Kyle Stowers (Bellingham), Baltimore Orioles

Ryan Tepera (Kelowna), Los Angeles Angels

Andrew Vaughn (Victoria), Chicago White Sox

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Tyler Anderson (Corvallis), Los Angeles Dodgers

*Sean Bouchard (Walla Walla), Colorado Rockies

*Mitch Haniger (Corvallis), San Francisco Giants

*Rhys Hoskins (Kitsap), Philadelphia Phillies

Andre Jackson (Kelowna), Los Angeles Dodgers

Connor Joe (Kelowna), Pittsburgh Pirates

Nick Madrigal (Corvallis), Chicago Cubs

Garrett Mitchell (Walla Walla), Milwaukee Brewers

*Tommy Nance (Cowlitz), Miami Marlins

Stephen Nogosek (Corvallis), New York Mets

David Peterson (Medford), New York Mets

Michael Rucker (Bellingham), Chicago Cubs

*Opening season on injured list.

That list of WCL/MLB players this year is sure to grow. During the 2022 MLB campaign season, a record 62 alumni of West Coast League teams ultimately played in the major leagues for some or all of the season.

The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences across the US.